This invention redesigns traditional watches, clocks and the like, in order to provide an unhindered view of the face. The unobstructed area, subsequently created by removing the center shaft from the face of the device along with repositioning the hands, provides a platform that will more prominently exhibit material for personal, artistic and business purposes. Some specific applications that would benefit in having an unencumbered display are pictures, artwork, promotion and advertising, three-dimensional images, and holograms.
Watches, clocks and like apparatus for indicating time are well known. A typical device 115 is illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b. Commonly, device 115 will comprise a circular dial 110 that is planar and extends to device wall 117. The obverse of dial 110 is ordinarily called the face 112. Inscribed on face 112 near the periphery 116 of dial 110 are marks 111. Typically, twelve marks are inscribed around the dial in equal angular increments of 30 degrees. Each mark 111 denotes an hour of the day, AM or PM. Each mark 111 also denotes a five-minute interval within an hour. A drive mechanism 150 is located beneath dial 110. Center shaft 113 extends from drive mechanism 150, vertically, through the center of dial 110 and face 112 and continues upward for attachment with hands 120 and 130, thus, providing the linkage between the drive mechanism and the hands. Minute hand 120 and hour hand 130 extend radially outward from center shaft 113 above face 112. Minute hand 120 rotates in a circular path, around center shaft 113 and parallel to face 112, at a rate of one revolution per hour. Hour hand 130 follows the same course as minute hand 120 but in a parallel plane and rotates at a rate of one revolution every twelve hours. A second hand (not shown) may also be provided, in which case it extends radially from center shaft 113 in still a different parallel plane, and rotates at a rate of one revolution per minute. Drive mechanism 150 may be powered by a battery, wound spring or other means known in the art. Device 115 will typically provide some mechanism (not shown) for setting hands 120 and 130, to indicate the correct time of day. Once device 115 is set, drive mechanism 150 causes hands 120 and 130 to rotate in a clockwise direction as shown. The basic principals of how the time of day is determined, based on the position of hands 120 and 130 within device 115, are so well known that further explanation is unnecessary.
The limitation with such devices as described above is that hands 120 and 130 along with the portion of center shaft 113 that is above dial 110, obscure face 112 thereby hindering the display in the central part of the face. For example, it would be preferable to have a watch, bearing a design on its face, which did not have the central part of the image disrupted by physical parts of the device. Such unimpeded watch displays are particularly advantageous for promotional uses where a logo or advertisement can be imprinted on a watch face. Alternative applications are: forms of artistic expression, pictures, three dimensional sculptures or figures, interior coordinating design work, team and league affiliations, personal unique designs and/or text, etc. What is common to all these applications is the advantage of having an unobstructed face.
The present invention restructures watches, clocks and other time indicating devices to provide an unobstructed central area of the device, such as the dial face, while maintaining the overall traditional perception of the device. Some specific applications that would benefit in having an unencumbered display are time indicating devices used for advertising. These devices may bear pictures, photographs, logos, artwork, three-dimensional images, holograms, or other types of advertising indicia. Similarly, time indicating devices of the present invention may be used for purposes other than advertising, such as keepsakes, souvenirs, and gifts. When used for these purposes the dial face may be used to display photographs, pictures, artwork, three-dimensional artwork, or other non-advertising indicia.
According to one aspect of the invention, the hands of the device are connected to the center shaft on the underside of the dial and the center shaft above the dial is eliminated. The drive mechanism causes the hands to rotate circularly in the same manner as the hands of a conventional timing device as described in the Background section of this specification. Since the hands are positioned under the dial and the center shaft above the face is removed, there is no obstruction to the central viewing area of the face. This aspect of the invention has several preferred embodiments.
In one embodiment, the hands extend from the center shaft below the dial, outward beyond the periphery of the dial, bend upward then inward and parallel with the dial towards the center of the face. The hands extend inward so as to be visible and indicate the position of the hands relative to the marks on the face. In this way, the user of the device can determine the time indicated by the device without the face of the dial, inward of the marks, being obscured by the hands of the device. A modification would be to eliminate all explicit demarcations of time from the face and rely on the position of the hands to estimate the time.
In an alternate embodiment, a bezel extends inward, parallel to and concentric with the dial face but in a higher plane than the face. In this embodiment, the hands extend from the center shaft below the dial, outward beyond the periphery of the dial, bend upward extending higher than the dial face, inward and parallel to the face sufficiently to extend over the outer aspect of the bezel, upward and higher than the bezel, outward and over the bezel to provide the indication of time. The user determines the time of day by the hands pointing to the time demarcations on the bezel, or simply relying on the position of the hands to establish the time without any time demarcations on the bezel. Additionally, patterns, design work, etc. can be incorporated on the bezel.
A variation to the alternate embodiment above is to present the bezel in a plane that is below the face instead of above it. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft and over the bezel to provide the indication of time. The face, being at a higher plane, is unobscured by any aspect of the device.
Still another variation to the alternate embodiment above is to present the bezel in a coincident plane to the face. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft, upward above the bezel, and outward over the bezel to indicate the time.
In a third embodiment is a projection that is circumferentially positioned around the device walls and parallel to the dial of the device. The projection is at a higher plane than the dial and extends inward to overlap the dial. The center shaft stretches from the drive mechanism to the underside of the dial. In this embodiment, the hands extend from the center shaft below the dial, outward beyond the periphery of the dial, bend upward extending higher than the dial face, inward and parallel to the face sufficiently to extend over the outer aspect of the projection, upward and higher than the projection, outward and over the projection to provide the indication of time. The user determines the time of day by the hands pointing to the time demarcations on the projection, or simply relying on the position of the hands to establish the time without any time demarcations. Additionally, patterns, design work, etc. can be incorporated on the projection.
A variation to the third embodiment above is to present the projection in a plane that is below the face instead of above it. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft and over the projection to provide the indication of time. The face, being at a higher plane, is unobstructed by any aspect of the device.
Still another variation to the third embodiment above is to present the projection in a coincident plane to the face. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft, upward above the projection, and outward over the projection to indicate the time.
According to another aspect of the invention, two concentric sets of indicators are provided around the periphery of the dial face. One set of indicators will indicate minutes. The other set will indicate hours. Since the indicators are at the periphery of the dial face, they do not obscure the central viewing area of the face. A digital timing mechanism controls the indicators to illuminate according to the time of day. In structuring the indicators this way, the present invention contemplates distinct and separate reference points such as LED""s, LCD""s, hands, dials, etc., that provide an indication with reference to time-of-day (e.g., xe2x80x9cthe hands point to 2 o""clockxe2x80x9d).
In all forms and embodiments, the present invention contemplates a single-housed, single-crystal design.
These and other aspects and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and written descriptions.